Quackwatch
| Formation | 1969 | 
|---|---|
| Founder | Stephen Barrett | 
| Dissolved | 2008 (as corporation); reorganized 2020 under Center for Inquiry | 
| Type | Health fraud watchdog | 
| Purpose | Combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct | 
| Headquarters | United States | 
| Official language  | English, French, Portuguese | 
| Parent organization | Center for Inquiry | 
| Affiliations | National Council Against Health Fraud | 
| Website | quackwatch.org | 
| Formerly called | Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud | 
Quackwatch is a United States-based website focused on promoting consumer protection and providing information about health related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. It primarily targets alternative medicine, questionable health claims, and practices it considers pseudoscience. It was founded in 1996 by Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist and former co-chair of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Initially operated under the nonprofit Quackwatch, Inc., it became part of the Center for Inquiry (CFI) in 2020. Its content is now maintained by CFI's Office of Consumer Protection and Pseudoscience.
Quackwatch has been cited by, and received both praise and criticism from, mainstream media, academic journals, and professional organizations. Supporters describe it as a resource for evidence-based health information, while critics, particularly proponents of alternative medicine, have challenged its tone and objectivity. The site includes articles, position papers, and links to regulatory actions, and it has been involved in broader efforts to monitor and report health fraud through affiliated networks such as the National Council Against Health Fraud and The Skeptics Society.